Sheppey residents may be getting a new national pizza chain if plans are approved.

American food giant Papa John’s wants to open a new store in Broadway, Sheernesss, which it says would create up to 20 jobs.

Proposals sent to Swale council would see the eatery set up at a unit previously occupied by clothing shop Youwomen, which has since moved across the road to Sheerness High Street.

If approved, it wants to open between 11am and 11pm on Sunday to Thursday, while opening from 11am to 1am on Fridays and Saturdays.

In a design statement outlining the benefits of changing the shopfront Papa John’s said: “The new shopfront will improve the appearance of the building because it will replace the recessed opening with an entrance door and display window that is not set-back from the street such that it would match the neighbouring shop as well as the majority of the ground floor units on both sides of the street.

“This arrangement is also more traditional and sensitive to the listed building. Relocating the entrance door will also create a more balanced shopfront that is sympathetic to the wider street scene.

“A detracting feature on the existing shopfront will also be removed, namely, the roller shutter housing.”

Addressing concerns about the amount of traffic it would generate, it detailed how the majority orders placed are for delivery rather than pick-up.

Data from the chain’s stores outside of London show up to 70% of orders were for delivery and that peak times were between 6pm and 9pm, with more than 125 orders leaving the door.

It predicts if people do come to collect their order they will park in the street or within Trinity Place car park.

In 2003 plans were submitted to change the building into an estate agents, but this was refused.

View the planning application here, reference 21/500855/FULL.

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